Episodes

  • This week Sahiba spoke to Charles Holland; the architect and author of the new book 'How to Enjoy Architecture: A Guide for Everyone'


    // Labour vows to build on the ‘grey-belt’ and deliver 1.5 million homes // Birmingham set to refuse controversial tower above a listed hospital // Scottish architects condemn the ditching of climate targets // And how can we look beyond the day-to-day familiarity of buildings to truly enjoy architecture? //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Merlin spoke to the architect, author and columnist Eleanor Jolliffe


    // Sadiq Khan pledges to end rough sleeping in the capital // The Grenfell Inquiry’s final report delayed yet again // Gender pay gap widening among UK architectures biggest firms // And the AJ and SAVE launch a competition to rethink demolition plans for the M&S on Oxford Street //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • This week Merlin spoke to the Chief Executive of Camden Highline, Simon Pitkeathley


    // Rent rises set to outpace wage growth for next three years // Outrage over King Charles’ ‘ideal town’ proposal in Kent // Contentious Barbican demolition plans tipped for approval // And the fascination with forbidden spaces; how Camden Highline is opening up a whole new part of London //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In this episode Paul spoke to the landscape architect, urban designer and Director of Landscape and Placemaking at Peabody, Dr Phil Askew. Their discussion centered around the landscape-led regeneration of Thamesmead; the brutalist post-war townscape in south east London hailed as the ‘town of tomorrow’.


    You can find an online version of Landscape for free here


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Sahiba spoke to Amandeep Singh Kalra. Amandeep is the Associate Director of Be First, the regeneration arm of Barking and Dagenham council.


    // Norwich City Council 'disappointed' after sell flagship homes lost to right to buy // The UK has the worst value housing of any advanced economy // Stirling Prize winner hits out at flaws in UK built environment procurement // And local heritage found to bring £29 billion pounds in economic benefits linked to wellbeing every year //

    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Merlin speaks to the President of the RIBA, Muyiwa Oki.


    // Council housing ratcheting up the political agenda ahead of big year of elections // How generative AI is transforming the work of architects and engineers // Heat pump rollout slammed for being too slow // And V&A’s director warns The Palace of Westminster is on the brink of catastophe //


     The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Merlin spoke to Simon Vickery, the Programme Manager of the Open House Festival.


    // Spring budget criticised for failing to boost housing // A government report finds Lown Traffic Neighbourhoods are popular and effective // Grimshaw unveils major new redevelopment plans for Waterloo Station // And how simply partying more could help our struggling night time economy //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In this episode Paul spoke to the co-founder of architects Studio Octopi and Future Lidos Group; Chris Romer-Lee. Chris is a outdoor swimming enthusiast and tidal pool advocate, and his practice was behind the ambitious Thames Bath proposals which first caught peoples attention nearly a decade ago.


    In this episode they discuss the landscape of swimming, with a particular focus on tidal pools and the benefits they can bring to coastal ecosystems and communities.


    You can find an online version of Landscape for free here


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Merlin is joined by Tom Wilkinson. Tom is a writer and historian, and author of the new book ‘Emergency Money: Notgeld in the Image Economy of the German Inflation, 1914–1923'


    // Competition probe into the UK’s biggest housebuilders // Heatherwick to turn BT Tower into a luxury hotel // Government redirects billions from HS2’s scrapped northern leg // And architects report the longest period of pessimism since 2009 //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Producer Poppy spoke to Fran Williams - the architectural journalist and occasional host of The Brief - to discuss the big stories in housing, architecture, and planning news this week.


    // Government warned London house building is grinding to a halt // A new benchmark for sustainable housing wins planning in East Sussex // Loss of Jewish East End heritage as landmark beigel shop closes its doors // And a 6 million pound rebrand for London's ‘Orange Line’


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Sahiba spoke to Rob Fiehn, the Director of the London Society


    // RIBA president Muyiwa Oki slams Labour’s £28 billion pound green U-turn // Michael Gove approves controversial South Bank tower plans // The public toilet crisis isolating vulnerable people // And delivery riders stage a Valentine’s Day strike demanding fair wages //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In this episode Paul spoke to the architect, curator and urbanist, Madeleine Kessler. Together they looked at waste water management in London, and investigated the value of holistic design-led approaches to major infrastructure projects.


    You can find an online version of Landscape for free here


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Sahiba spoke to Pooja Agrawal. Pooja is an architect, chief executive of Public Practice, and a trustee of Open City.


    // Housebuilders throw support behind Labour as Conservatives ‘bow to Nimbyism’ // Fresh plans submitted for London tower set to be joint-tallest in Europe // Channel 4 to sell iconic Richard Rogers-designed HQ amid job cuts // And the clifftop project dubbed Grand Designs’ ‘saddest ever’ home, goes back on the market //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Merlin spoke to the architect and co-founder of the Stirling Prize-winning practice Haworth Tompkins, Graham Haworth.


    // Calls for a Royal Commission into housing and health as 5,000 deaths caused by cold and damp homes // A new wave of multistorey industrial developments transforming urban skylines // South Korean architect Minsuk Cho picked for 2024 Serpentine pavilion //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Fill out our 2 minute listener survey to be in with a chance to win a 6 month subscription to Open City's Pocket London printed guides.


    This week Merlin spoke to Siraaj Mitha, Head of Open City's Accelerate programme.


    // Lesley Lokko wins RIBA Gold Medal // The state of Britain’s pavements forces many to stay at home // 2023 named hottest year ever recorded globally by a blistering margin // And the Elizabeth Line station which was nearly never built now faces acute overcrowding //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Fill out our 2 minute listener survey to be in with a chance to win a 6 month subscription to Open City's Pocket London printed guides.


    On the show this week Merlin spoke to Des Fitzgerald. Des is a professor of medical humanities and social sciences, and author of the new book ‘The City of Today is a Dying Thing’


    // Fresh divisions emerge in the debate over greenbelt development // Big oil bankrolls a major British Museum overhaul // Public buildings at risk amid a wave of local authority bankruptcies // And the record-breaking theft of Banksy’s newest Peckham artwork //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20THEBRIEF at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In this episode we investigated the importance of Sustainable Urban Drainage systems in building a greener future, with Sue Illman who guest edited this edition of Landscape which is dedicated to the evolving landscape of water.


    Sue is a landscape architect and past president of the Landscape Institute. Her career has changed the landscape of water management this year was a recipient of an ‘Outstanding Contribution to SuDS’ award by CIRIA - the Construction Industry Research and Information Association.


    You can find an online version of Landscape for free here


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Special episode of award-winning podcast series examining forest restoration.


    Open City is delighted to present this special episode of Words on Wood, a fantastic podcast created by the American Hardwood Export Council in conjunction with Disegno journal exploring how the world’s forests can be restored.


    We’ve been fans of Words on Wood for for some time. It’s a very well produced show combining interviews with some of the best brains in the timber industry with leading creative practitioners from carpenters to architects.


    In this episode, titled A Trillion Trees, the Words on Wood team are joined by multi award-winning science and environmental writer, Fred Pearce whose groundbreaking work covering the natural world spans at least 15 books. The wider Words on Wood series explores a vast set of themes connected to timber and trees featuring interviews with inspiring speakers including educators, architects and craftspeople.


    Building on the success of previous seasons, the latest series of Words on Wood will introduce a new mini series titled ‘Making Shorts’. These bite-sized episodes zoom into production techniques for timber, providing concise case studies through interviews with designers on the making processes behind specific projects.

    Other highlights include Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng speaking about creating furniture with a chainsaw, and Tanya Singer and Errol Evans, First Nations woodworkers and artists, explaining how they employed high-tech milling machines to create a series of sculptural furniture that tell stories about the climate crisis. 


    You can find the show here or search Words on Wood wherever you get your podcasts.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • This week Merlin spoke to Rowan Moore - the architecture critic of The Observer and author of several books including ‘Property: The myth that built the world’


    // UK rents up by more than a quarter since 2020 // MPs still deliberating over Parliament’s restoration // Stratford Sphere given one last chance by Michael Gove // And how the richest 1% account for more carbon emissions than poorest 66% //


    The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.


    Click here to get early, ad-free access to The Brief, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.


    The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.


    The Brief is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, and the C20 Society.


    The C20 Society are offering The Brief supporters 20% off membership, just follow this link and use the code C20LONDOWN at the checkout.


    If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link.

    


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In this episode, Paul spoke to Karen Fitzsimon, Colleen D’Souza and Rajan Dewan. Karen is a chartered landscape architect, historian, and horticulturist. Colleen is Director and Head of Cracknell’s Integrated Horticulture Team. She has been instrumental in expanding the plant typologies used in the Middle East and North Africa regions of the last three decades, challenging local standards and adding ecological and resilience value. And Rajan – Group Design Director at Cracknell– is a specialist in water management and modern irrigation techniques, and has over 40 years’ experience in planning, design, construction detailing, management, construction resourcing and engineering design of hard & soft landscape.


    Together they talked about the history of publicly accessible parks, and the challenges they face in the future as the climate crisis threatens water security.


    To read their articles and all the others in this edition, you can find an online version of Landscape for free here


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.